2. There was a book published way back in 1966 about anti-intellectualism in American Life

I read this in high school:
"Anti-intellectualism in American Life" by Richard Hofstadter

"The age of philosophy has passed...that of utility has commenced..." said an orator at Yale in 1844. Richard Hofstadter uses this telling quote and well as a wealth of other information to show how a thread of anti-intellectualism runs through the history and culture of "practical" America. He dissects anti-intellectualism, goes into its history and origins in the US, and shows its impact in education, politics, and business. This thorough analysis won him the 1964 Pulitzer Prize in Non-Fiction."

3. Classic...

5. Asimov wrote an essay about "The Cult Of Ignorance" back in the 50's.

He took to task the most prevelant mass media of the day, the movies.
In the movie he looked at, a woman is doing research, but she isn't "happy" until Mr Tall Dark and Handsome sweeps her off her feet and carries her off.

Even our presidential campaigns are still stuck in the Eisenhower mode, back then Adlai Stevenson was derided as an "egghead."
Meanwhile..."We like Ike."

Al Gore and John Kerry were obviously far more intelligent than George W. Bush, yet they were derided as "ivory-tower elites."

10. Asimov and Carl Sagan - there will probably never be

such thinkers again. Not only were they the best in Science, but they could always write about science in a way that the average person could understand it. (Asimov was also my very favorite science-fiction writer)